Rahul Gandhi: PM can speak on TV, pop concert, but why not in the Parliament?

Rahul Gandhi: PM can speak on TV, pop concert, but why not in the Parliament?

In yet another attack on PM Narendra Modi by Rahul Gandhi over the mess created in the aftermath of the demonetisation decision, the Congress leader took a dig at the prime minsiter for his willingness to talk at numerous public events in person or via video conferencing and yet being totally against doing so in Parliament where the controversy has the Opposition up in arms demanding an answer from the top echelons of the BJP NDA government.

Taking to the streets again on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi addressed the media and said, “PM can speak on TV, pop concert, but why not in the Parliament?” (ANI)

In yet another attack on PM Narendra Modi by Rahul Gandhi over the mess created in the aftermath of the demonetisation decision that has seen long and winding queues forming in front of banks and ATMs as desperate people try to get rid of their old banned Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes and get the new ones, the Congress leader took a dig at the prime minsiter for his willingness to talk at numerous public events in person or via video conferencing and yet being totally against doing so in Parliament where the controversy has the Opposition up in arms demanding an answer from the top echelons of the Baharatiya Janata Party led (BJP) NDA government.

Taking to the streets again on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi addressed the media and said, “PM can speak on TV, pop concert, but why not in the Parliament?” The Congress Vice president was referring to PM Modi addressing the recently concluded Global Citizen Festival 2016 that was held in Mumbai where PM addressed the gathering and even quoted legendary singer/songwriter and Nobel Prize winner for Literature Bob Dylan. Modi has also been addressing a number of events across India, the latest one being in Uttar Pradesh, but he he has steadfastly refused to speak in Parliament which has drawn the ire of the opposition parties from Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress. The only opposition party that has supported the demonestiastion move by PM Modi has been Bihar chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Gandhi has looked to to corner the NDA government over the sorry state of implementation, but has not questioned the government’s actual policy decison to ban the Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes in an effort to weed out black money from the country. He has also accused the government of selectively leaking the information to the BJP before it was actually announced on November 8.

Clarifying the Congress stance further were 2 other senior leaders. Here is what they said:

Spokesman RS Surjewala said, “70 people have died in 13 days on account of demonetisation decision, will PM apologise to those families? Modi Govt has seen that it can neither go back nor go fwd on #DeMonetisation, they are devising escape routes, escapism won’t do.”

Speaking earlier in the morning, Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said, “What is happening in India is continuing illegality; white money is accounted. Nobody can impose limitations on it. If PM Modi is saying that 86% currency in this country is black then it is a very shameful statement.”